"Don't pray for patience," some folks warn, "or you'll get it!" Somehow I don't think that a prayer for patience is a trigger for God to orchestrate a difficult set of circumstances in order to allow us to get on-the-job experience in the field of patience development. Instead, I believe that when we pray for patience, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our pre-existing impatient tendencies, prompting us to examine ourselves to uncover the reasons why waiting gets us so riled up.
During the past two days, I have had ample opportunities to reflect on whether or not I am making patient progress. On Monday I sat for nearly three hours with my parents in an uncomfortable oncologist's office waiting to get a report on my mother's recent scans. On Tuesday I sat in a hospital room for six hours with a friend while her husband underwent surgery. In both cases, I had expected a lesser wait. But in both cases, I kept frustration (and worry) at bay by refocusing my attention. Where was God in the midst of these situations? What good could I find in these extended periods of waiting?
“Patience is not an additive we take to withstand the perils of life, but rather an opening up and breathing in trust as we hope that God is indeed with us as we wait,” Bill Kees wrote. Waiting is never easy, even when you're anticipating that something wonderful is about to happen, but God is indeed with us as we wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment